With the threat of swine flu in central New York growing, officials are continuing their efforts to prepare for potential outbreaks. The Tompkins County Health Department has been working closely with local organizations, including schools and healthcare providers to monitor the situation. Constant updates are being provided via the health department’s website at http://www.tompkins-co.org/health/.
In Cortland County, one case has been upgraded from ‘Suspect’ to ‘Probable.' Another case under investigation was reported as negative on Friday. Officials have stressed that the probable case was mild and the patient is in the recovery phase. Several public health campaigns and surveillance of schools remain underway. More information is available through the community hotline at (607) 753-5200.
Health officials in Steuben County, 2 hours away from Tompkins, have sent three samples to the CDC for swine flu testing, and one has returned with negative results.
An e-mail sent by Cornell University Dean of Students Kent Hubbell to the community yesterday advised individuals to use standard prevention practices to reduce the risk of disease transmission. This includes washing hands well and often or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing, and not sharing utensils, cups, bottles, or anything that may have come in contact with another person’s nose or mouth.
The U.S. Government declared the recent swine flu outbreak to be a national emergency on Saturday when the virus first began to appear. As of Saturday morning, the CDC has confirmed 155 cases nationwide, with 1 death. New York has the most probable or confirmed cases of any state, with 95. 82 of these cases are within Queens in New York City. The WHO has reported a total of 653 cases in 11 countries.